Falling in Love is Embarrassing!
by Sweet Dreamscape
Summary: Ren Maaka usually has no trouble convincing his women prey to sleep with him, as well as provide him with some delicious blood. So, what will Ren do when his newest prey, Natsumi Fujikawa, possesses the ability to resist his charm? Ren X OC
1. Chapter 1

Falling in Love is Embarrassing

As nighttime arrived, the Maaka family began to awaken from its slumber. Anju opened her gold eyes slowly. She looked around at all of her dolls, sitting in fixed positions around her bed. When she found her favorite one, Boogie-kun, she grabbed him, held him between her arms, and proceeded out of her room.

Upon arriving downstairs Anju noticed her mother and father sitting calmly on the couch. Her older brother, Ren, was standing up, gazing out the window. Anju quietly sat down in a vacant chair and sighed.

_"Has big sister returned home yet?" _She asked in a whisper.

_"No, not yet, Anju." _Her mother stated calmly.

Suddenly, her father jumped out of his seat, causing it to fall backwards.

_"I just can't handle this anymore! My daughter…and Kenta Usui! He'd better not be putting his hands on my baby!" _He exclaimed in anger and frustration.

Suddenly, his wife stood up and walked over to him.

_"Listen Henry, our daughter is growing up. It was bound to happen eventually." _She said casually.

It was then that Ren made a sound of disgust.

_"Yeah, but she's with a __**human**__. That is detestable to a family of vampires." _Ren argued.

Anju looked over at her elder brother with a look of disappointment.

_"I have to disagree with you, big brother. If sister is happy, then what should it matter that Kenta Usui is a human?" _

Ren's look turned venomous at her remark, but nonetheless she continued.

_"Also, it is impossible for us to be with sister in the daytime. Kenta Usui serves as a constant watch over big sister."_

Anju's mother nodded and patted Anju on the head.

_"You see, Anju? It seems only the women in this house see things the right way." _She said with a sigh as she proceeded into the kitchen to retrieve some blood.

Anju smiled ever so faintly and stood up from her chair. As she passed by Ren she could sense his disgust. She looked up at him innocently.

_"Big brother, she's found happiness." _Anju said ever so quietly.

_"Whatever." _He replied as he turned his attention away from the window to look down at her.

_"So, are you going to wait for her to get back?" _He asked out of curiosity.

_"But of course." _Anju replied almost immediately.

Ren sighed as he walked past her towards the door. As he closed it behind him he let out a low growl.

_"Damn little sisters. They're completely different, and yet they share one common thread. They piss me the hell off." _

Ren looked back at the house one more time and sighed.

_"Well, whatever. I'm freaking starving, so I guess I'll go find myself a stressed out woman." _

With that, Ren disappeared into the woods, leaving behind no trace of ever having been there at all.

As Ren walked the busy streets if Tokyo he relied on his blood affinity to guide him. Whenever he felt the presence of a stressed out woman he would track her down, win her over with his vampire glamour, bring her to a hotel room, make love to her, and in the midst of passion Ren would bring his lips to her neck, deceived as a kiss, and bite her. It was the same routine as always, and it never failed. He smiled at the thought of his cunning ways.

Suddenly, he felt that familiar pulsation throughout his body. He smiled, revealing the tips of his fangs.

_"Well, that certainly didn't take long at all." _He thought to himself.

As he followed the presence that bared such a great deal of stress he could feel his hunger increasing in anticipation. He made his way casually through the hustle and bustle crowds, his eyes scanning through them in search of his prey. Suddenly, he felt the pulse again.

_"I must be getting close." _He thought aloud.

Then, he felt someone bump into him. As soon as the contact had been made he felt the pulse, larger and harder than the previous times. He looked down at the girl who had hit him. She was an average looking girl, with an average looking hair style and average clothes. Nothing exciting about her physically, but her blood….

He could see the black aura of enveloping stress surrounding her. It was heavy and dense, and appeared to have been formed from an accumulation of incidents and events. He smiled to himself at his keenness in finding his prey so quickly. He truly was a master hunter.

The girl looked up with an apologetic expression.

_"I apologize." _She said softly.

With a quick bow, she proceeded on her way. Ren, however, managed to grab a hold of her hand, stopping her dead in her tracks.

_"Wait." _He began.

_"It is I who should apologize." _

The girl shot him a quizzical expression.

_"Really, I wasn't paying attention. I just have…a lot on my mind."_

Ren looked at her curiously and worked up the warmest smile he could.

_"Would you like to tell me about it?" _He asked, his sincere expression masking his insincere intentions of the confrontation.

_"I'm Ren, by the way," _He added.

_"Now, out of common courtesy, she has to tell me her name." _He thought slyly.

_"Natsumi." _She replied flatly.

_"And, thanks for the offer, but no thanks." _

Ren's eyes transitioned so quickly from pupils to slits to pupils that she failed to notice. He then tapped into her mind, trying to read her thought pattern and respond accordingly so that he could enjoy a 'fine dish', as he put it.

_"I mean, honestly, how could I tell a complete stranger about all of the stuff I'm going through?" _He heard her think.

He closed his eyes and sighed.

_"Y'know, it seems to me that you're pretty stressed out. Maybe talking to a complete stranger may help…?" _He suggested.

In all honestly, Ren was losing his patience. He liked his women submissive. He liked the women who would cling to him like a second skin, so infatuated with him that their world would be empty without him. He liked the women who fell for his glamour within seconds and soon enough, she would be naked in bed with him. This girl was more persistent, more stubborn than the others. It was starting to piss him off, yet Ren figured a challenge would make the meal all the more satisfying. Besides, he always had his powers if necessary. He wanted to see if he could make her yield to him without having to use his powers.

_"Well, isn't that normal? To be stressed…is a normal occurrence." _Natsumi stated in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone.

_"Well, yes it is. But you seem to have excessive stress built up. That isn't healthy." _Ren warned, moving in on her.

Natsumi watched as he placed his hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off and swore she heard a low growl from him.

_"How do you know?" _She asked.

_"I just do. Now, I happen to know of a little coffee shop that we can go to and talk about what is causing you to have so much stress." _He said with a wink.

He used a tiny bit of his glamour in an attempt sway her even a little, but to his surprise she fought it.

_"Thanks for the offer, but I'm going to have to pass." _She replied, holding out her hand in disapproval.

Now Ren was truly losing his tolerance. He decided that to press the issue wouldn't get him anywhere, at least not quickly. He vowed that he would not give up on her. Still, he needed to feed soon. He was starting to feel a bit weak.

_"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Nonetheless, it was a pleasure to meet you Natsumi."_ He stated coolly.

Natsumi nodded to appease him and then turned her back to him. She soon enough disappeared into the crowd of people, leaving Ren needing to find another prey. He did so very easily. He simply found a girl that he had previously slept with and bitten, and went home with her that evening.

As Ren lay in the bed of his prey, he stared up at the ceiling in a dumbfounded state.

_"Why didn't my glamour work? It always works on even semi-stubborn girls. She must be either lesbian or just really stubborn." _He thought to himself.

As his prey returned from the bathroom she smiled.

_"Oh, Ren sweetie! I just love you so much!" _She exclaimed as she curled up on his lap.

Ren smiled as she leaned into him, revealing her neck once more.

_"And I love you, Tomoko. So very much…" _He said in a whisper.

He brought his lips to her neck and kissed her a few times before sinking his fangs into her yet again. She let out a yelp, but he used his vampire powers to silence her. His eyes gleamed red and within seconds the girl was silenced, leaving Ren to enjoy his second course. Her blood tasted sweet, so very sweet, yet somehow…it wasn't as satisfying as it should have been. Why was it, he wondered, that the Natsumi girl kept popping up in his head while he fed. He had wanted to taste her blood so badly, but he lacked the tolerance and patience to attain it that evening.

_"I will find her. And her blood will be mine." _He thought to himself as he removed his lips from her neck, placed her on the bed, got dressed, and left her house.

When Ren returned home that evening he could hear the annoying voice of his sister. As he proceeded upstairs he decided to be nosey. He had nothing better to do, and he was curious as to what that boy, Kenta Usui, had done with his sister. Regardless of how he treated his sisters, Ren was the older brother. Being an older brothers, it made sense why he was protective of his little sisters, especially Karin. She truly was pathetic. She had to have Anju clean up all of her messes every time she "fed". Ren snorted at the thought.

_"If you could even call it that. She injects blood into people instead of taking it from them." _

Suddenly, he heard Karin whiney voice again. He listened by the entrance.

_"Oh, Anju it was so embarrassing!" _Karin exclaimed, burying her face in her pillow.

Anju's bright gold eyes blinked and she sat calmly beside her distressed big sister, placing a hand on her shoulder.

_"I'm so proud of you, big sister." _She whispered softly, a faint smile claiming her face.

Ren raised an eyebrow, curious as to what had been so embarrassing. Then again, to his sister, everything was embarrassing.

_"I feel horrible! I bet I disappointed him." _She said with a sigh.

_"Well, it was your first time. Was it Kenta Usui's as well?" _Anju asked, sitting back on the bed.

_"I-I think so, but still…I totally ruined it!"_ Karin said as she began to sob.

At this Ren could not stand idly by. Ren walked into her room and stood before his weeping sister. Anju looked up at him, her expression blank.

_"Welcome home, big brother." _She stated calmly.

_"Huh?!?" _Karin gasped as she wiped away a few stray tears on her cheeks.

She saw her brother, standing in front of her, looking seriously pissed off.

_"Ren?!? What are you doing in my room?!?" _She asked, freaking out.

He did not even acknowledge her question. Instead, he simply lifted her from her bed, grabbing her by the neck of her shirt. As she dangled limply from his arms she frantically tried to escape. Suddenly, his hands were on each side of her head, balled into fists. With unexpected vigor, Ren gave his sister the most painful knuckle noggin she had ever experienced. She let out a cry and begin to sob once more as the torture continued for a few minutes more. When he finally stopped she began to rub her aching head.

_"What the hell would you go do something like that for? You're only sixteen for God's sake!" _Ren yelled, glaring at her intensely.

_"W-What are you talking about?!?" _Karin asked, completely confused.

After a moment she added,

_"You were listening outside of my door?!?" _

_"What the hell does that matter? You just gave up your worth to that Usui kid!"_

_ "What?" _Karin asked.

It was then that Anju leaned over and whispered in Karin's ear.

Within a few seconds, Karin's face had flushed a deep red.

_"You thought I did THAT?!?"_ Karin asked, her face turning even redder.

_"Then what the heck were you talking about?" _Ren asked, leaning against the doorway.

_ "It's none of your business!" _Karin hollered as she threw her pillow at him.

Anju stood up, walked up to her brother, and said in a barely audible voice,

_"Big sister just experienced her first kiss." _

With that, Anju walked out of the room and into the hallway.

Ren suddenly sighed deeply, realizing that he had gotten worked up over nothing. So his sister hadn't gotten laid yet. What a relief! He wasn't ready to deal with that yet.

_"Oh, I hate you so much! Get out!" _Karin shouted, throwing another pillow.

Ren caught it and smirked.

_"My mistake. Of course my dimwitted unvampire sister wouldn't have done that." _He scoffed as he exited the room.

He couldn't help letting out a chuckle. What a dork his sister was. Yet, he knew that he loved her, in his own weird way. As he walked past the window he suddenly desired to be outside. With unsurpassable grace, Ren jumped out of the window and landed perfectly on a nearby tree branch. He leaned back against the main body of the tree, extended his legs along the branch, and sighed. The night air felt good. He could hear the light shrill of bats nestled in the woods surrounding the house. He smiled to himself.

When one of his bats appeared before him he extended his hand out to it. With a gentle flap of its wings it was perched atop his hand. It twitched slightly before outstretching its wings. Ren's thoughts once again returned to that Natsumi girl. He simply had to taste her blood. It had smelt succulent in every way. His mouth began to water jus by thinking about how it would taste.

_"I'll have to try to meet with her again tomorrow evening. Perhaps one of the numerous women I have come to know is acquainted with her." _He thought aloud.

Ren simply sat there for a few more hours, his gold eyes hidden beneath his eyelids. As the sun began to appear near the horizon he let out a sound of disgust and reentered the house through the window. He proceeded to his room for a much desired sleep. He just hoped that his dumb sister wouldn't wake him up when she started to get ready for school.

**Well, I hope you liked it! I tried to keep them all in character as much as possible. This is my first Karin fanfic! Thanks for reading! **

**Please tell me your thoughts and feelings on this! I would love some feedback! :)  
**


	2. Chapter 2

When evening fell the following day, Ren slowly made his way downstairs. He yawned loudly and proceeded straight toward the door. He stopped dead in his tracks upon hearing the familiar voice of Kenta Usui. A growl escaped him and he turned abruptly towards the kitchen. When he made it to the kitchen door he stood outside in silence. He closed his eyes and listened intently through the door.

"So Usui-kun, how many cupcakes do you think I should make for Maki-chan?" She asked as she retrieved the baking mix from the cupboard.

The tall boy stood rather tense as he leaned against the wall. When Karin turned around and saw him she sighed.

_"Usui-kun, what's the matter?" _She asked worriedly.

The boy gently scratched his head, unsure of whether or not he should tell her. When Karin's bright eyes fixated on him he felt compelled to speak.

_"Well, it's just…I guess I feel like an intruder." _He stated sheepishly.

At this Karin suddenly made a disheartened expression.

_"But why? My family accepts you." _She replied as she opened the refrigerator door.

As she bent over Usui felt his face flush and he turned his attention to the clock on the wall above the door. Upon retrieving a gallon of milk and two eggs, she closed the door and proceeded toward the kitchen table. Gently, she set down the ingredients. The boy blinked, but said nothing in response.

_"They do." _Karin tried once more.

With a sigh, he proceeded over towards her. He watched as she tore open the mix and dumped it into the bowl. Then, she took the first egg into her hand and knocked it against the large red bowl with precision. Carefully, she pulled apart the shell and released its containments inside of the bowl.

_"You really believe that, Maaka?"_ He asked dubiously.

Karin's eyes shot up to meet his. For a moment neither one of them said a word. Then, she returned her attention down to the bowl. She knocked the second egg just as perfect as the first, and she watched the inside drip into the bowl. Slowly, she walked over to the counter and retrieved the butter she had set there a while ago. It was nice and soft now, and she smiled to herself as she brought it over to the large bowl.

_"I do. Or else I wouldn't have said it, silly." _She replied.

As Usui watched her begin to pour the milk into the measuring cup he had retrieved before they began he sighed. He approached her warmly and smiled.

_"Thanks Maaka." _He said faintly.

At this moment, Ren expected what was yet to come. He knew that silence that came just before a kiss. He grinned menacingly before making his grand entrance into the kitchen. As he walked inside the first thing he noticed was the fact that Kenta Usui's face was mere inches from his sister's. He narrowed his eyes and opened a cabinet gently. As the two were about to be caught in a kiss Ren slammed the cabinet shut. At this the couple jumped.

_"Hello, Karin." _Ren seethed, his golden hued eyes fixated on Kenta's hand that now rested near his sister's waist.

_"Ren?" _Karin gasped.

_"H-How long have you been here?" _

Kenta Usui grew slightly pale – he had become aware of Ren's intense dislike of him the moment they first met. He also knew what her brother was capable of, and so he hastily removed his hand from Karin's waist.

_"Long enough…" _Ren hissed.

Karin noticed how her brother's piercing eyes had never once swayed from Usui's face, which had become as white as snow. The awkwardness that now filled the kitchen was unnerving.

_"We were just whipping up a tray of cookies…" _She said with a sheepish grin.

_"Is that all you were doing?" _He asked as his gaze remained fixated on Usui.

_"Stop staring at Usui-kun!" _She exclaimed. _"You're always trying to scare him off!"_

_ "If he was as afraid of me as you say…"_ Usui remained fixated on his sneakers and Ren narrowed his eyes. _"Then he wouldn't have tried to make a move knowing that I'm a few footsteps away."_

At this Usui swallowed hard. Karin noticed his distress and proceeded to push her brother out of the kitchen, which proved unsuccessful. Soon enough Ren had his sister's head locked in place and delivered a double noogie.

_"Wahhhhhh, Ren leave me alone!" _She cried.

Usui wanted to step in, but realized that it would only make the situation worse for him and Karin by aggravating Ren even further. He stood in place feeling completely useless and at the mercy of his girlfriend's beast of an older brother. When Ren was satisfied with his inflicted big brotherly wrath he released Karin and proceeded over to the bowl of cookie batter. He sniffed it and then turned his head away in disgust.

_"This smells terrible." _He said. _"But by all means, have at your baking. I'll be going out for a bit…"_

The two shot each other blank stares as the brooding vampire left the kitchen and proceeded outside.

A few seconds later Karin looked at Usui expectantly, hoping he would remember where they had been before Ren had interrupted them. When she leaned closer to him Usui placed his hands on her waist, but not in an intimate manner. He must have assumed she was losing her balance and decided to stabilize her.

_"You okay?" _He asked.

_"Yeah, sorry…" _She said with embarrassment.

Just as she was about to check the oven Usui pulled her in for a quick kiss. Karin's face shone red, but she smiled back at him and left a peck on his cheek.

_"These cupcakes are going to turn out amazing! Maki-chan will love them!" _She said with renewed zeal at which Usui couldn't help laughing.

_"What?" _She wondered.

_"I'm sure they will, Karin." _He said as he gently brushed her bangs away from her eyes. Usui had always adored her determination, despite her klutziness. It was one of the many things that made her so adorable, and Karin was oblivious of it. Nonetheless, she smiled at Usui's gesture and the two continued baking.

As Ren walked about the streets he began to seek out that girl from the previous night.

_"What did she say her name was…? Natsumi, I think." _He thought to himself.

Passing by a few women he smirked and they giggled out of embarrassment and glee. He wondered where he should begin looking. After all, it would be rather difficult to isolate one person's stress vibes, and since the amount of stress people endure daily changes, Ren realized it could turn into a lengthy search. He grimaced at the thought.

_"Do I honestly need to find her anyway?"_ He asked to no one in particular. _"I can have any other girl I want. Should it bother me that one slipped away?" _He didn't need to answer it - he spotted the girl walking into the grocery mart a few blocks down the road.

_"Well, well, well…just my luck." _He said with a smirk.

With a steady pace he proceeded into the grocery store and peered down the first few aisles. He was disappointed at discovering that she hadn't been down them, but continued looking down each aisle nonchalantly. He decided to head down one so he didn't look suspicious or draw attention to himself and absentmindedly reached for a box of graham crackers on the shelf.

_"Which aisle are you in….?" _He mumbled as he inhaled deeply, trying to pick up her scent. Suddenly, his pupils dilated before quickly returning to their original size - he could sense her proximity. Maybe an aisle away? Two tops. He casually set down the box of graham crackers and walked to the end of the aisle. As he turned to go down the next one he saw her, standing in front of what appeared to be cans of beans. He slowly walked up to her.

_"So, we meet again." _He said, trying to contain his building anticipation.

The girl turned around and blinked.

_"….do I know you?" _She asked.

He felt a bit angry that she hadn't remembered, but decided it wasn't worth becoming irritated about.

_"Yes, we literally bumped into each other last night. My name is Ren. And you're Miss Natsumi, correct?" _

_"Yeah…" _She looked at him a bit dubiously, but continued browsing through the many assortments of beans. Ren blinked.

_"So, we're buying beans I see." _He felt a bit awkward trying to come up with things to say, which never happened. How could she do this to him? Women were supposed to be unable to speak in the presence of his incredible beauty and charm, and yet here he was talking about beans to her.

_"Yes. I do enjoy them." _She replied. _"Something tells me you're not a big fan of them."_

_"Not particularly…" _

The two stared at each other speechless. Ren decided to cut to the chase.

_"So, I was serious about taking you for a cup of coffee last night…" _He began.

_"Oh? I do believe I declined your offer." _She replied, but added _"But thanks."_

_ "Well, someone certainly isn't very congenial." _He said with a hint of irritation.

_ "Look." _She put down the can of beans she had picked up and crossed her arms. _"I'm know your type. You like a quick and easy fix."_

Ren shot her an intense look at her assumption.

_"Excuse me?" _

_ "I'm not someone who can be coerced into doing something I object to, so don't even waste your time." _She was about to turn her back to him when suddenly he reached out and grasped her wrist.

_"What if you're wrong about me?" _He asked, despite realizing she had been spot on, which irritated him.

_"I doubt it." _She retorted. _"Now, if you don't mind…I'd like you to let go of me." _

Ren sighed and released her from his grasp. _"Fine." _

As she proceeded to disappear down the aisle Ren watched her with intense frustration at his defeat. He walked out of the grocery mart and headed over to the coffee shop anyway.

_"I'll just pick up another one for tonight. I'm starving." _He thought to himself.

_"But don't think this is over, Natsumi. I won't stop until I've had a taste of your stress filled self..." _

**Note: To everyone who has been waiting for me to update this story….I am so sorry it took me so long! To be honest, I created the first chapter on a whim. I had no idea people would like it enough to want me to continue. As of now, I plan to continue it as much as my time allotted allows me. I hope this chapter ends up being worth your waiting!**


	3. Chapter 3

Walking into the coffee shop Ren spotted his next meal instantly - a disheveled looking girl who had bags under her eyes the size of walnuts. He smiled to himself as he approached her table. She didn't even seem to notice him at first, so he pulled out a chair from beneath the table.

"Hello there." He said as he flashed his charming smile at her. "Is this seat taken?"

The girl shot him a perplexed expression before shaking her head.

"Why would such a handsome gentleman be talking to me?" She wondered, but she realized that the answer hardly mattered. She bit her bottom lip at noticing how striking his silver hair looked, and his golden eyes...

"You seem to have a lot on your mind." He began. "You look tired, is anything troubling you?"

"Why yes, actually..." She replied, not knowing why a random stranger would care to ask. And while she did want to open up to someone, anyone who would listen, she didn't feel it was her place to talk to a complete stranger about the problems of her life, like the fact that she was falling behind on her car payments despite all of the overtime she was pulling lately, as well as the fact that she had caught her ex-boyfriend cheating on her, shattering her self-esteem.

"Would you like to talk about it?" He inquired in a smooth voice.

"Well, I don't know...I don't want to burden you with my crap."

"It's not a burden." He countered. "I like helping others."

"Wow, he's handsome _and_ kind!" She thought to herself.

Ren smiled as the girl took the bait. All he had to do was sit through her list of problems and then he would be sensitive and supportive. Then she would offer him to come back to her apartment, which was an offer he would gladly take her up on. After sitting with her a bit more to comfort her, he would initiate the process with a simple kiss, which would overwhelm the girl. Eventually, they would get hot and heavy, which would lead to Ren claim his sought after prize.

The night carried on exactly as he had anticipated, as he was feeding on the poor girl he couldn't stop himself from wondering what Natsumi tasted like. She always seemed to be bearing an immense load of stress on her shoulders, but she never gave the slightest hint that this was true. The more composed she seemed, the more frustrated he became with her. It was almost as if she knew that her stress was what he wanted, and she refused to allow him to even realize it was there. This thought irked him enough to cause him to stop drinking her precious blood and began to get dressed. The girl looked at him somewhat dazed and reached for him as he buttoned his shirt.

"Where are you going...?" She asked in a stupor.

"I just remembered that I have plans this evening..." He said as he pulled his pants back on and tied his shoes.

"Will I see you again...?" She asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Maybe." And with that he pressed his hand to her forehead and his eyes glistened a bright gold hue. He erased her memory of the past few hours she had spent with him and went on his way to find Natsumi. He was going to have her if it was the last thing he ever did.

He inhaled the air deeply, hoping that he would be able to hone in on her scent. He walked about aimlessly for a few hours before finally sitting down on a bench to take a break.

"Damn it." He swore under his breath. "The sun will be coming up soon, and I haven't been able to locate her. How the hell does she mask her stress?"

It wasn't as if he hadn't met humans who were capable of burying their fears and inner demons, but he had always been able to unearth them, bring them to light, leaving this prey vulnerable and ready to succumb to his will. Could he truly be losing his touch? He shook his head at the ludicrous idea. He was Ren Maaka, a suave, sexy vampire who knew just what the ladies sought in a man.

"Perhaps she's not attracted to men...?" He thought aloud. "Nah. I don't get that vibe from her."

He knew he had to be overlooking something, but that 'something' continued to elude him. Just as he was about to throw in the towel for the evening he picked up on her scent. His pupils turned into slits and then quickly reverted back to normal. His pearly white fangs curled over his lips in a sinister smile. After he stood up Ren proceeded in the corresponding direction f her scent, which was comparable to Calla Lilies - a subtle, delicate aroma. It was so faint that it piqued his senses as quickly as it disappeared from them. He knew he would have to be quick, because if he were to be outside in the presence of the sun he would burn, and his powers would be greatly weakened.

As Ren grew closer to her he could feel his excitement peaking.

"Soon you'll be _mine_." He thought aloud.

It was almost as if his sanity had left him, and all that was left was pure animal instinct. He came to an abrupt stop when he saw her sitting outside underneath a giant cherry blossom tree. She had a book in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. While initially he saw no trace of anxiety, he could sense it pulsating deep beneath her surface. It sounded like a tympani and he strode up to her casually.

"My you're up early." He said quietly.

Her eyes slowly looked up from her book and narrowed when she noticed him.

"Are you...stalking me?" She asked as she closed her book and set down her cup of tea.

"I wouldn't call it 'stalking,' per say. More like...tracking." He replied while sitting down beside her. The venom in her gaze was disconcerting to him, and he didn't know what to anticipate from her.

"Well, I would." She stood up from her spot on the ground and proceeded toward the door to her house. "And I'm sure the police would too."

"Now, now Natsumi..." He tried in a voice as soft as silk. "Let's not overreact. I merely came to speak with you. You never give me a chance..."

"Have you ever stopped to think why that is? You couldn't leave well enough alone. Declining your offer twice didn't strike a chord? I'm not interested in anything you have to offer, so just leave me alone."

Her words had managed to inflict some hurt on him, but they did not deter him from closing the distance between himself and her. When Natsumi slammed the door in his face and went into the kitchen, he became irritated and forcefully pulled it back open. Her eyes widened and she reached for a sharp steak knife in one of the kitchen cabinets as he stepped inside.

"I'm warning you..." She hissed. "If you take even one more goddamn step I'll-"

"You'll what? Stab me? " He mocked as he took a few steps toward her. "Come now, I can smell your fear, my dear..."

Without hesitation she quickly slashed the knife through the air in his direction. Ren flinched as he recoiled slightly. He hadn't expected her to put up such a fight! She was much braver than he had expected. As she approached him, knife still in hand, Ren realized that attempting to scare her into submission was a terrible idea.

"Wait! Natsumi, please...I just-"

"No!" She shouted as she swung the sharp blade at him once more, barely missing. "Get out of my house!"

Ren gasped as he felt himself bump into the wall. Natsumi quickly closed the distance and cornered him. He narrowed his eyes and they began to shine their gold hue, which led her to back up slightly. Ren reached for the knife in her hand, but she refused to loosen her grasp on it. When she yanked it forcefully to the left she accidentally sliced into Ren's arm, which began to bleed profusely. He let out a gasp as the pain instantly set in and he began to lose the precious blood he needed so desperately. As he fell to the floor, clenching his arm in his hand in an effort to stop the bleeding, he stared up at her angrily. To his surprise she looked truly afraid at what she had done, and her hands were trembling. Slowly, the knife fell from her hands to the floor and made a sharp sound when it hit the hard wood.

"I'm losing too much blood. I have to get out of here before I..." His thought was interrupted by a distortion of the room around him. His eyes no longer glowing, his expression reflecting pain more than anger now, he watched as the image of her blurred into nothingness.

**So here's chapter three! Tell me what you think :) **

**Only two more chapters left! -woot-**


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